I have been wanting to look thru a pair ever since they came to market. At the price of USA $449. I held off but when I saw today that B & H Photo NY now has them discounted to $314. shipped my Buy It Now finger just took over. I know they are a specialty Binocular not really practicale for birding. They caught my interest for night sky star gazing with double duty as a binocular for viewing landscapes/stationary wide life at moderate distances. I will post my thoughts on theses after they arrive in a few days. I did own a pair of the Minox BF IF Green 6.5x32 binocular years ago. It will be interesting to see how the Vixen with its ED glass and updated coatings compare to the Minox.